Grateful Dead Music Forum

This thread is derailing fast. Start a new thread if you guys want to talk about her boobies.

i was totally instigating. my bad

Tennessee Jedi wrote: Bottom line is playing with more experienced musicains is key for getting better.
.02$
Good luck

Right on, that's what I've been realizing...but actually that statement can be seen in two ways, two valid ways: My thought is that if one plays with more musicians (who may or may not be experienced, how can you really score skill level anyway?) one gets better...or how I think you meant it, "if one plays with musicians that have a lot of experience, or more than you do, in areas you would like to improve, you will get better"

What exactly are you trying to get better at?

easytoslip wrote:

Tennessee Jedi wrote: Bottom line is playing with more experienced musicains is key for getting better.
.02$
Good luck

Right on, that's what I've been realizing...but actually that statement can be seen in two ways, two valid ways: My thought is that if one plays with more musicians (who may or may not be experienced, how can you really score skill level anyway?) one gets better...or how I think you meant it, "if one plays with musicians that have a lot of experience, or more than you do, in areas you would like to improve, you will get better"

its just good to play at any level interaction with other musicians get a feel for what works and all that
But def jamming with the peps who have it down is good too - keep up or hit the road
For me - I am still figuring out stuff like how do we count in a intro or how do you the ending - its great - I ask the drummer stuff all the time about what we trying to do....
You can learn a lot from others and how they do things.

- Tom

Pete B. wrote:What exactly are you trying to get better at?

{{{don't ever want to put that in writing as it changes constantly!}}}

As you know, you can practice at home with a mic and an electric and anything else you want so when you go to an open mic, you kinda have an act ready. Unless you have done it before a bunch, you don't want to do it off the cuff that's for sure.

hippieguy1954 wrote:As you know, you can practice at home with a mic and an electric and anything else you want so when you go to an open mic, you kinda have an act ready. Unless you have done it before a bunch, you don't want to do it off the cuff that's for sure.

Yeah I've gone on a stage well-prepared, and not well-prepared, I've played solo acoustic and sang a few times at open mics, once as a band opener; I've sang at other people's solo slots as a guest for a few songs, and at a backyard fest sort of gig, also got to sit in on a recording session in a studio and put down some lyrics and playing in a home studio, all really fun stuff. Now I suppose I'm just playing casually with friends when the get-togethers happen, usually late-night stuff, wherever we can get away with it

I had a slot lined up at Elemental Energy Fest a year or two ago for a solo acoustic but I backed out at the last minute. I didn't feel prepared even though I was as prepared as I'd ever been, if that makes any sense. I wrote it off as not wanting to do solo acoustic gigs solely for the rest of my life but I'm sure it was nervewracking seeing the lineup and knowing how seasoned the rest of the musicians were.

(don't want to keep that post up)(shot from the hip)

easytoslip wrote:I had a slot lined up at Elemental Energy Fest a year or two ago for a solo acoustic but I backed out at the last minute. I didn't feel prepared even though I was as prepared as I'd ever been, if that makes any sense. I wrote it off as not wanting to do solo acoustic gigs solely for the rest of my life but I'm sure it was nervewracking seeing the lineup and knowing how seasoned the rest of the musicians were.

Solo acoustic is pretty scary! I've played around 1,000 gigs and I still feel really exposed without a band around me.

I think I read somewhere that Jerry had a 14 night solo run lined up at a theater in NYC (Beacon, maybe?) and after one night he called John Kahn and begged him to come out and join him.

Maybe find a friend and put a duo together? And play somewhere a lot more casual than a festival first!

great advice, thanks Scoob!